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By: Shambhavi Anand

NEW DELHI: The pursuit of happiness is important for everyone and not so unattainable either; even during these difficult economic times. Whether it is Khushiyon ki Home Delivery (Dominos), Khushiyon ki Planning (Max Life Insurance), Khushiyon ki Chaabi (Tata Nano), Khushiyon ki Diwali (Airtel) or Khushiyon ka Khazana wali Maggi, advertising taglines are hard-selling joy.

"Happiness is a universal concept and becomes even more relevant when the times are tough," said Samir Gangahar, executive director of Leo Burnett, the agency which created the Coke India-Pakistan ad with the 'Happiness Bus'.

In 2008, when Dominos created the television commercial (TVC) with the tagline Khushiyon ki Home Delivery the use of the word 'khushiyon' was intentional. "The move was in line with our effort to shift our positioning towards creating an emotional bond with the customer. The year was also coincidentally the year when the Lehman Brothers crash happened and the slowdown set in," said Harneet Singh Rajpal, vice president - marketing, at Domino's Pizza India.

The TVC struck a chord with the audience - amidst the gloom of a slowing economy, poor pay hikes, a dull job market and high inflation, where a box of pizza could bring some amount of happiness. "The concept resonated with the customer and helped us achieve the required growth in our business. For the last four years we have been growing at a CAGR of around 45%. The ad and the concept have worked well for us," Rajpal added.

Coca-Cola launched the global marketing campaign 'Open happiness' in 2009. Speaking about the campaign, Anupama Ahluwalia, vice president, marketing, Coca-Cola India and South West Asia, said, "Brand Coca-Cola has been at the forefront in making a cultural point of view that encourages optimism and positivity in our everyday lives. The Bewajah Khushiyaan Lutao, Coca-Cola Pilao campaign inspires everyone to spread and share happiness without any reason, through little gestures like sharing an ice-cold bottle of Coca-Cola."

The brand has consistently used this concept for different campaigns for several years. "Our latest campaign captures the spirit of hope and optimism, further establishing the brand's 'philosophy' by urging people to believe in a happier tomorrow. This is more than just a campaign for Coca-Cola," Ahluwalia added.

The usage of this concept by Coca Cola and Dominos has been highly admired by advertisers as they have been able to create the right kind of recall value and helped consumers associate with the brands.

"Coke has used the concept in a great way. It is more towards concepts of innocence and goodness and moving towards simpler world, which are universal concepts," says Santosh Desai, CEO Futurebrands.

At present, when the economic situations are not as pleasant, the concept seems to have gained popularity again. Around 30 or more brands are advertising the concept of happiness.

"The link between the two might exist but more in an indirect sense rather than as a direct result of the downturn. The usage might be a subconscious effort and an obvious thing to do when the situation is such. A concept like happiness is unlikely to upset anybody," says Desai of Futurebrands.

Such a usage might be the result of the societal development of the current times. "Apart from the concept of happiness and the effort to move to simpler times, there might simultaneously be campaign on the activist mood and brands associating with that," says Desai. There are also concepts like zindagi, love or cinema titles which gain popularity at different points of time.

"Being happy and healthy are two most common concepts. Everybody wants both," said marketing and business consultant Sunil Alagh. "However, the overuse of it may suggest that one is bereft of creativity.

The words are right for 'intent' but 'content' is key to creative use. The consumer must be able to relate to the word khushi. It should be clear as to how the word relates to the key product benefit being advertised i.e. affordability, fast delivery or functional benefit of the product."

Dominos has now refrained from the usage of the term khushiyon due to its overuse and shifted towards positioning itself as a brand which strengthens relationships. "With the economy slowing again, the word 'khushiyon' is being stressed upon again by several brands.

Such concepts need to be unique so that they help the brand to stand out rather than being overused. Because of too many brands using the same communication, we have moved on," Rajpal of Domino's added.